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Reggie: Wii U name not responsible for console's problems.

Burai

shitonmychest57
I think it's a combination of things, name certainly being one of them, but I believe it's the brand and the company itself which are the biggest problem.

The name certainly has issues because it's confusing, needlessly complicated, and isn't easy to market. Add in the fact that they seem to have a bit of an issue adapting or understanding what their own focus is with the console, and it becomes more difficult.

The biggest problem with the Wii U is Nintendo itself really. What is different from the Wii U now, than with the N64 and the Gamecube? It's the same downward spiral. Wii avoided this by using motion controls and effectively targeting the casual market and bringing a previously uninterested audience to the platform. However the larger problem, which is with the Nintendo brand itself, remains. Nintendo have done a fantastic job of essentially isolating themselves from the general direction of the gaming industry, and really drilling into the minds of people that their brand isn't where you go to enjoy the variety of third party games most core gamers enjoy. That's one market which was neglected. Then you add in the problem of the casual market now having other devices such as tablets and smartphones, and it's becoming much harder for Nintendo to find that necessary audience.

The rest of the industry is quite different now. It all began from PS1, and more notably, the PS2. It was the change of consoles from just a pure gaming device to more of a media system. Then along came this past generation, and for the core gamers, online became a significant part of the package also. You essentially have Sony and Microsoft competing for this markets attention now, and they are providing consoles which are much more powerful, more media focused, yet will still retain the majority of traditional games as the rest of the industry is moving with them. This is where a lot of the gaming buzz is going to, and where a lot of the traditional industry is focused.

Nintendo is being left behind in that regard, and you can't really blame them for trying to bring another gimmick to try and compete. That's all they can do. They have a huge challenge in front of them to try and create their own distinct, and appealing brand for consumers, but it's also difficult for them to all of a sudden try and compete with Sony/Microsoft in the jack of all trades devices they're making. They lack a proper accounts system, their online infrastructure is terrible, they don't have a multi-media device, and their latest console is a little out of date, whilst also being entirely reliant on a gimmick. The other problem is that Nintendo themselves seem to have been very unprepared for HD development, so whatever advantage could have come from that, has been wasted. And to face facts, their franchises aren't strong enough to carry a console.

It's why this console is being beaten to an early grave and is struggling so much with brand, vision, focus, and general appeal.

Basically, Krillin is shit.

Last gen was like a mega-successful bandaid for Nintendo. The same problems were there but they could just ignore them. Huge droughts for software were pushing the hardcore away (as before), lack of power and online infrastructure pushed away third parties but they could just look at the sales of Wii Fit or Mario Kart and simply dismiss the problem.

But what it really did was build a now unbreakable wall between Nintendo and the rest of the industry. They didn't invest in any of the things that Microsoft and Sony used to push the industry forward and consumers and third parties now expect.

And now we just see them flailing. A controller concept they can't justify with any meaningful software, struggling with the same HD and online teething problems their rivals had licked years ago, awful branding issues, spending stupid amounts on outdated tech just because it's efficient enough to stick in a small case, a total inability to communicate what their products are and trying to singlehandedly support two platforms with nowhere near enough software.

It's a mess, all of their own making and nearly 20 years in the making.
 

Darryl

Banned
I don't think the name is a problem either. It's just a quick excuse for people trying to explain bad Wii U sales.
 

BigDug13

Member
I don't think the name is a problem either. It's just a quick excuse for people trying to explain bad Wii U sales.

It is "a" problem, but it is far from one of their primary problems. I mean even Target doesn't really know what the Wii-U is apparently as they put a picture of the Wii console next to the Wii-U controller in their print ad. But the Wii-U and Nintendo in general have far more problems than just the console name.
 

Jack cw

Member
I don't think the name is a problem either. It's just a quick excuse for people trying to explain bad Wii U sales.

Its part of the problem and that problem is simply poor marketing. That includes everything from advertising to appeal of this hardware. Nintendo couldnt get the message of a new system out to the casuals and were not able to attract core gamers. In the end its a gigantic failure in its concept... The lack of support and faith from 3rd parties doesnt help them either. The next console has to be a commercial succes otherwise its game over, Nintendo.
 

moniker

Member
When I walked into a large electronic retailer here in Sweden, all the Wii and Wii U games and accessories where mixed in the Wii section. They also had a Wii with NSMB Wii hooked up at the test booth instead of Wii U with NSMB U. I don't think they understood the difference themselves. The name is a problem.
 

kubricks

Member
The name is part of the problem I guess? It is confusing to many.
The software line up that isn't clearly differentiated from their own 3DS might also be a problem? I struggle to find a reason to buy the pad while owning the glorious 3DS. The Mario games on them isn't *that* different to causal? My wife commented they are very similar...

And is marketing the popular thing to blame now?
I see the recent threads about W101, while many WiiU owner actually tried the demo and didn't like the game for their own reasons, people still insist that it is the marketing's fault that the game bombed.
 

Sendou

Member
And is marketing the popular thing to blame now?
I see the recent threads about W101, while many WiiU owner actually tried the demo and didn't like the game for their own reasons, people still insist that it is the marketing's fault that the game bombed.

Well the game is extremely solid so I would say marketing is to blame here. It's a new IP so it requires a completely different marketing push Nintendo wasn't ready to make. Even demo is a part of marketing. I'm not even sure they should have made one. Without any tutorials the game seems confusing as hell and potentially turns people off too.

Is Wii U as a name problematic? Probably. I'm not sure if dropping the Wii brand would have been the way to go either. On the other hand calling it Wii 2 wouldn't go very well together with the brand and wouldn't really give any indicator how Wii U has a different core philosophy from Wii. I think Wii U as a name is fine. If some people that have no interest in the product don't know what it is then so what? People trust too much their own marketing research with 1-2 people.
 

PTG

Member
The problem with the Wii U is not the name. In my eyes the problem is simple. The Wii took off because of the motion controls. It was a huge fad. Now that that fad has died down Nintendo cannot count on those same people to purchase the new console. It's just not going to happen.

Software is also an issue. I'm sure Super Smash Bros and Mario 3D will give the Wii U a needed boost in console sales but, they also need the same third party support that the PS3/360 enjoys. The people that can only purchase one console won't buy a Wii U because the third party support is lacking. With the new consoles releasing later this year I fear that as time goes on the third party support will get even worse.

But, the most important thing Nintendo needs to do is some advertising. They need to make some damn noise. Go onto the national morning shows and demonstrate how fun the games are on the Wii U. A huge ad blizt would help them with Wii U sales for sure.

The Wii U won't be the 1st choice for most console buyers but, they can be the second choice. They just need to demonstrate to the masses what they could experience only on the Wii U.
 
I don't think the name is the issue. People didn't have a problem differentiating the Xbox and Xbox 360. This is definitely a games, gamepad, and look issue.
 

Ceadeus

Member
Ahah thinking of it, maybe the customers think the box only contain à Wii and a new type of controller,the gamepad...goddamn, if it's the problem, Nintendo might have to change the name of the system. Just kidding but Wow, i'm sure many think so.
 

Hex

Banned
Does anyone expect Reggie of all people to admit anything that is a problem, much less that there is a problem?
Reggie is a tedious symbol of what is wrong with Nintendo and what has been wrong with them this gen.
 

monome

Member
WiiU's name saving grace is Wii will disappear from Nintendo's dictionnary the day they release a new home console.
 
Does anyone expect Reggie of all people to admit anything that is a problem, much less that there is a problem?
Reggie is a tedious symbol of what is wrong with Nintendo and what has been wrong with them this gen.
I don't think so. It's all controlled by the suits in Japan, Reggie is just a puppet that has to make do with the hand dealt to him. There needs to be a real change or change of thinking at the very top of NCL. That's not likely to happen any time soon.
 

Roshin

Member
I don't think the name is a problem either. It's just a quick excuse for people trying to explain bad Wii U sales.

It's not the only problem, but It's a problem for sure. None of my casual gaming friends understand that the Wii U is a separate console. They just think it's another add-on like Wii Fit or Wii whatever and say "We already have a Wii, we're good". They don't consider it, they don't even look at it.
 

dearodie

Member
Well the game is extremely solid so I would say marketing is to blame here. It's a new IP so it requires a completely different marketing push Nintendo wasn't ready to make. Even demo is a part of marketing. I'm not even sure they should have made one. Without any tutorials the game seems confusing as hell and potentially turns people off too.

Is Wii U as a name problematic? Probably. I'm not sure if dropping the Wii brand would have been the way to go either. On the other hand calling it Wii 2 wouldn't go very well together with the brand and wouldn't really give any indicator how Wii U has a different core philosophy from Wii. I think Wii U as a name is fine. If some people that have no interest in the product don't know what it is then so what? People trust too much their own marketing research with 1-2 people.

This is a bit off topic, but an honest question regarding your W101 comment.
From playing the demo, and although I mostly enjoyed it, it felt to me like an intense arcade game with too much going on at the same time.
Does the game actually have any sort of tutorial? (Or a mode to gradually ease people into it)

I am glad they did a demo, because I was going to pick this up and now I will wait for an inevitable price drop or B2G3 comes black friday.
 

Sendou

Member
This is a bit off topic, but an honest question regarding your W101 comment.
From playing the demo, and although I mostly enjoyed it, it felt to me like an intense arcade game with too much going on at the same time.
Does the game actually have any sort of tutorial? (Or a mode to gradually ease people into it)

I am glad they did a demo, because I was going to pick this up and now I will wait for an inevitable price drop or B2G3 comes black friday.

The demo basically drops you 20 minutes into the game with lots of skills unlocked you wouldn't get until way later in the game. Obviously the game does a lot better job explaining these things to you when you're playing the full release. It does have a tutorial (a good one I should mention) and it pretty much cleared every problems I had with the demo and I'm an action games novice. Only action game I have played before is Bayonetta demo and I have no problems with Wonderful 101. That's why I can comfortably tell you right now that you won't find the full game overwhelming.
 
Wii two might have worked as well.
Sounds similar to wii u and has similar meaning when said and most importantly people would have known it's not the same system.

I've been saying it since day one of the Wii U's announcement, but it should have been called the Wii Tú.
 
I don't think the name is the issue. People didn't have a problem differentiating the Xbox and Xbox 360. This is definitely a games, gamepad, and look issue.

If the Xbox had the Xbox Fit, Xbox+, Xbox peripheral this and Xbox that, then yes, microsoft would have run into issues as well.
 

linkboy

Member
Reggie's right, it's not the name that's the problem, it's that Nintendo did a fucking horrible job explaining what in the hell the system is.

The fact that people honestly thought that the gamepad was an add on for the Wii never should have happened.

Nintendo has done a horrible job of marketing the system.
 
Reggie's right, it's not the name that's the problem, it's that Nintendo did a fucking horrible job explaining what in the hell the system is.

The fact that people honestly thought that the gamepad was an add on for the Wii never should have happened.

Nintendo has done a horrible job of marketing the system.
But that is a direct consequence of having this bizarre name. The messaging could have been much clearer, but they made it a much harder job for themselves by giving it this name.

If it had a brand new name, like the Nintendo Amazeballs, then it would be very clear that it was a new system. But the Wii as a brand is still very valuable, so it is understandable that they wanted to keep that going. The obvious choices would therefore be Wii HD and Wii 2. 'Wii HD' is arguably too 'technical', and in some ways still sounds like the same console but capable of higher resolutions. 'Wii 2' has no such problems. It's the next Wii. A sequel to the Wii. It can't be misinterpreted as the same device, or an accessory for it.
 

FauX

Member
The Console should have named ReggieU and it would have be an insta buy.

Joke aside. Nintendo must release its complete first party IP games if the N want to succeed.
 
Why in the world would the name Wii U confuse people when the new iPad doesn't?

Because it's completely different than that?

Ipad
Ipad 2
Ipad <this space intentionally left blank>
Ipad mini
Ipad with a release date of 11/22/2013

These are basically all the same thing. You buy whichever you like, and you upgrade when you want to. All the customer needs to know is that there's a newer one, and everything else, they can find out when they decide to purchase.

Wii Play (with Wii Remote)
Wii Zapper
Wii Fit
Wii Balance Board
Wii Motion Plus
Wii U

These are all products you buy to use with the Wii (right?). There is no Wii 2, Wii Revision C, or whatever. People do not see the Wii as a device that has iterative versions. They see it as a single device that has a bunch of add-ons. And of course, there are literally dozens of others that aren't official, but still add to that perception, like all the plastic baseball bats, guitars, guns, the U Draw tablet, the chargers, sensor bars, and so on.
 

dearodie

Member
The demo basically drops you 20 minutes into the game with lots of skills unlocked you wouldn't get until way later in the game. Obviously the game does a lot better job explaining these things to you when you're playing the full release. It does have a tutorial (a good one I should mention) and it pretty much cleared every problems I had with the demo and I'm an action games novice. Only action game I have played before is Bayonetta demo and I have no problems with Wonderful 101. That's why I can comfortably tell you right now that you won't find the full game overwhelming.

Good to know, thx.
I got 18 more plays on the demo, will play it some more over the next few weeks to make up my mind, probably in between Rayman Legends sessions when it's out in a couple of days.
 

Strax

Member
Here in Iceland there is only one store/chain allowed to sell Nintendo stuff and they just put the Wii U games in the Wii rack. Also, every Nintendo game is on 20% sale and has been for 6 months

hq0rTkn.jpg

Ude2VCb.jpg
 

Novocaine

Member
Wii HD would have made more sense than Wii U. I just hope to god they drop the "Wii" name for the next console because it sounds utterly stupid.
 
The name and design of the console was a part of the problem. People thought my Wii u was a regular Wii. Target thought this as well... People also thought it was a peripheral for the Wii...
 

120v

Member
i don't see any direct evidence that large swaths of casuals out there can't differentiate between a Wii and a Wii U

though in retrospect it probably should've just been named Wii 2
 

DMczaf

Member
I was really hyped for the return of "Nintendo Entertainment System" the day before Wii U was unveiled.

I still am.
 

malfcn

Member
They had to send a message to Wii users that the Wii U was not an add-on but a new system. That's pretty bad, imho.

Nintendo-Message.jpg
 

Spira

Banned
" And that's why (insert the only four announced titles) are crucial for the Wii U's success" said Reggie.
 

They designed the console as if they thought the gamepad would inherently sell itself as well as the wii remote did. It did not.

Everybody says they love the off-tv play once they've lived with it a while, but "buy it and you'll like it after a few days we promise" doesn't work alone. Likewise nintendo land isn't resonating as hard with the world as wii sports did, so the gameplay potential is seemingly either also a don't-get-it-til-you-try-it thing, or a thing that is just inherently less appealing to the world than the sports gameplay was.

Edit: The name could be workable if paired with an intense marketing effort, but it wasn't.
 
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